Rant: My 'simple' bathroom tile job in my 1920s house turned into a full wall rebuild when I found a 3 foot section of rotted stud.

I learned the hard way that a $50 tile project can turn into a $400 nightmare if you don't check for moisture damage behind old walls first, so has anyone else in an old home dealt with this and have tips for spotting hidden rot before you start demo?

4 comments

4 Comments

margareto263mo ago

Actually old newspaper is pretty safe if it's dry and you're careful. The real worry is the plaster dust or any old insulation around it. A good mask makes all the difference.

margareto263mo ago

My 1918 kitchen reno found a whole wall of newspaper insulation.

spencer_park263mo ago

That old newspaper probably has lead paint dust all over it now. Honestly tearing it out seems like a health risk more than a cool find. My cousin in Toledo had a similar situation and the whole place tested positive for asbestos after they disturbed the walls. Those old materials weren't meant to be exposed again. Tbh I'd be worried about mold spores or even bugs living in there for decades. Sometimes it's better to just leave that stuff sealed up and forgotten.

dakotab931mo ago

Yeah so I actually dealt with this exact thing in my 1910 house and honestly I just left the newspaper in place since it wasn't causing any problems. It's been dry and undisturbed for over a hundred years so why mess with a good thing right? I sealed it back up with some new drywall and forgot about it. The real key is making sure there's no active moisture getting in there because once that paper gets wet then you've got a whole different situation on your hands. Plus that old newspaper is kind of cool to know it's still in there holding everything together.